{"id":2381,"date":"2023-11-08T09:32:48","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T09:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/content-optimization-the-complete-guide\/"},"modified":"2023-11-08T09:32:48","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T09:32:48","slug":"content-optimization-the-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/content-optimization-the-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Content Optimization: The Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Content optimization is the process of improving aspects of content to increase its reach or make it more engaging. It involves such techniques as aligning content with search intent, adding missing subtopics, and showing how your product\/service can solve users\u2019 problems.<\/p>\n<p>In this guide, you\u2019ll learn how to optimize content for SEO, conversions, and social shares.<\/p>\n<p>But first, let\u2019s make sure we\u2019re on the same\u00a0page\u2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is content optimization important?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Content optimization dramatically improves your content\u2019s performance and helps you meet your <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-goals\/\">marketing goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Without it, you may be missing out on visibility, rankings, traffic, leads, and\u00a0sales.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to optimize content for\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Before you think about attracting email subscribers or leads for your business, you need to start from the top. So, let\u2019s look at the different ways you can optimize your content for SEO and get traffic to your site consistently.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Make sure you\u2019re targeting a keyword with traffic potential<\/h3>\n<p>Optimizing for a keyword that nobody searches for is pointless. Even if you rank #1, you won\u2019t get any traffic.<\/p>\n<p>To identify keywords with high traffic potential, here\u2019s what you should do:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>Ahrefs\u2019 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\"><strong>Keywords Explorer<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Enter one or multiple broad keywords related to your\u00a0topic.<\/li>\n<li>Hit <strong>Search.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For example, when you enter \u201ccontent marketing\u201d and check the <strong>Matching terms report<\/strong>, you\u2019ll get over 21,500 keyword ideas with search volumes, Keyword Difficulty (KD), and other valuable data:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1026\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image4-2.jpg\" alt=\"Matching terms report in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"wp-image-168936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image4-2.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image4-2-680x349.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image4-2-768x394.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image4-2-1536x788.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>To ensure that you\u2019re finding keywords with the potential to attract traffic from organic search, add a minimum <strong>Traffic Potential<\/strong> filter. This metric shows the estimated monthly organic traffic to the current top-ranking page, so it\u2019s a reasonable estimate of how much traffic you can get by ranking in pole position.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1622\" height=\"1108\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13.png\" alt=\"Setting traffic potential filter in Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"wp-image-168937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13.png 1622w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13-622x425.png 622w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13-768x525.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13-1536x1049.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1622px) 100vw, 1622px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1622\" height=\"1108\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13.png\" alt=\"Setting traffic potential filter in Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13.png 1622w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13-622x425.png 622w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13-768x525.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image13-1536x1049.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1622px) 100vw, 1622px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If your website is new and has low <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/website-authority-checker\">authority<\/a>, it also pays to filter for low KD keywords to unearth\u00a0less competitive topics.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"1036\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1.png\" alt=\"Setting KD filter in Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"wp-image-168939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1.png 970w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1-398x425.png 398w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1-768x820.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"1036\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1.png\" alt=\"Setting KD filter in Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1.png 970w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1-398x425.png 398w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image18-1-768x820.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Make sure it aligns with search intent<\/h3>\n<p>If your content fails to answer searchers\u2019 questions, this is a signal that it\u2019s a poor match for the query and doesn\u2019t deserve to rank. That\u2019s because Google prioritizes <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">search intent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The easiest way to understand search intent is to use the current top-ranking results as a proxy. Specifically, you can analyze them for the three Cs of search intent:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Content type<\/strong> \u2014 The type of content on the SERPs (e.g., blog post, product page, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/landing-page-seo\/\">landing page<\/a>, category page). If the top 10 positions for your keyword show blog posts, stick to blog posts. Don\u2019t try to shoehorn your product page into the SERPs, it likely won\u2019t\u00a0work.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content format<\/strong> \u2014 The content format in the search results (e.g., how-to, step-by-step guide, listicle, review). The top-competing posts will indicate what the searcher predominantly wants to know. If the first page of Google shows listicles, go with a listicle. If it shows guides, go with a guide. You get the\u00a0idea.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content angle<\/strong> \u2014 The unique selling point of the competing content on the SERPs (e.g., discounts, inexpensive strategies, free shipping). While it\u2019s crucial to stand out from the competition, you should still consider the similarities between top-ranking posts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For example, if we look at the search results for the keyword \u201cseo statistics,\u201d we see that the content type is blog post, the content format is a listicle, and the dominant content angle is traffic freshness:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"914\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19.png\" alt=\"SERP overview in Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"wp-image-168941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19.png 1214w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19-564x425.png 564w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19-768x578.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1214px) 100vw, 1214px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"914\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19.png\" alt=\"SERP overview in Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19.png 1214w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19-564x425.png 564w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image19-768x578.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1214px) 100vw, 1214px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If you want to stand the best chance of ranking for this query, you should follow suit \u2014 that\u2019s what we did with <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-statistics\/\">our list of SEO statistics.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Make sure it covers everything searchers want to\u00a0know<\/h3>\n<p>Does your post stack up against the competition? Conduct a content gap analysis to see how you\u00a0fare.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The idea here is to identify potentially missing subtopics that searchers want to know and brainstorm how you can do better.<\/p>\n<p>You can do this quickly by examining the top-ranking posts most similar to yours (i.e., you may want to ignore that random landing page at the second spot if you\u2019re writing a how-to guide):<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open <strong>Ahrefs\u2019 Competitive Analysis<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Enter the URLs of the top three to five posts for your keyword.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Compare.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1604\" height=\"936\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Competitive Analysis tool.\" class=\"wp-image-168943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1.png 1604w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1-680x397.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1-768x448.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1-1536x896.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1604px) 100vw, 1604px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1604\" height=\"936\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Competitive Analysis tool.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1.png 1604w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1-680x397.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1-768x448.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image15-1-1536x896.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1604px) 100vw, 1604px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>For example, for the query \u201ccontent marketing,\u201d searchers may be looking for a definition and actionable advice for creating a content marketing strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"842\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2.png\" alt=\"Sample keywords from Competitive Analysis.\" class=\"wp-image-168945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2.png 800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2-404x425.png 404w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2-768x808.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"842\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2.png\" alt=\"Sample keywords from Competitive Analysis.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2.png 800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2-404x425.png 404w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image10-2-768x808.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Our guide doesn\u2019t rank for these keywords because it either doesn\u2019t cover these subtopics well enough (the definition part) or doesn\u2019t cover them at all (the strategy part). So now we know what to\u00a0fix.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Make sure it\u2019s easy and enticing to\u00a0read<\/h3>\n<p>Most people don\u2019t read web pages from beginning to end. Instead, they scan the main points and pick out phrases that jump at\u00a0them.<\/p>\n<p>Here are four practical ways to make your content more enticing and easier to\u00a0skim:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Eliminate fluff<\/strong> \u2014 Clich\u00e9s, low-impact adverbs, and hard-to-read sentences repel users. Before publishing your post, use the <a href=\"https:\/\/hemingwayapp.com\/\">Hemingway Editor<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarly.com\/\">Grammarly<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/prowritingaid.com\/\">ProWritingAid<\/a> to catch these errors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increase visual comprehension<\/strong> \u2014 Long walls of text overwhelm readers. Use short paragraphs and bullet points (like what we\u2019re doing here), have bold key takeaways, and include relevant images to make your post more reader-friendly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Add a table of contents (ToC) in long posts<\/strong> \u2014 The ToC offers easy navigation and tells readers the list of topics covered.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prioritize important information<\/strong> \u2014 A well-optimized post makes valuable information accessible. Don\u2019t make readers dig through them! Put your best ideas at the top. Leave the nice-to-know information at the bottom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You\u2019ll notice that we\u2019re doing many of these things in this post. For example, if you\u2019re reading this on desktop, there should be a floating ToC on the\u00a0left:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1868\" height=\"816\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3.jpg\" alt=\"Table of contents example.\" class=\"wp-image-168947\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3.jpg 1868w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3-680x297.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3-768x335.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3-1536x671.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1868px) 100vw, 1868px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1868\" height=\"816\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3.jpg\" alt=\"Table of contents example.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168947\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3.jpg 1868w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3-680x297.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3-768x335.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-3-1536x671.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1868px) 100vw, 1868px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Make sure it has a compelling title tag and description<\/h3>\n<p>The title tag and meta description is the first thing searchers see on the\u00a0SERPs.<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, they should describe what your content is about at a glance. It\u2019s a bonus if they set your post apart from competing posts. (This goes back to our point on content angle earlier!)<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Match search intent <\/strong>\u2014 It should be clear that your page matches what the searcher is looking for from your title tag and meta description alone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep them short and sweet<\/strong> \u2014 Google truncates title tags and meta descriptions after a certain length. This is usually around 70 characters for title tags and 120 characters for meta descriptions, although it varies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Include your keyword <\/strong>\u2014 This helps searchers see at a glance that your page is a relevant match to their search.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Highlight specificity <\/strong>\u2014 Specific data points increase credibility and respect. Compare \u201cHow to Attract Customers in a Month\u201d with \u201cHow to Attract 2,738 Customers in a Month on a Shoestring Budget.\u201d Which compels you to click\u00a0more?\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Make sure it has enough backlinks<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-are-backlinks\/\">Backlinks<\/a> help you get into Google\u2019s good books, as they\u2019re one of the top three <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">ranking factors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-traffic-study\/\">search traffic study<\/a> discovered that the more backlinks a page has, the more organic traffic it attracts. The graph below shows the trend between monthly organic search traffic and the number of backlinks from external websites (referring domains).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"942\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1.png\" alt=\"Referring domains vs. search traffic correlation graph.\" class=\"wp-image-168949\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1.png 900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1-406x425.png 406w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1-768x804.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"942\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1.png\" alt=\"Referring domains vs. search traffic correlation graph.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168949\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1.png 900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1-406x425.png 406w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-1-768x804.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>So if you want to rank high on the SERPs, you\u2019ll need to build links from authoritative and relevant websites.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an easy way to find the number of websites that link to your\u00a0page:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\"><strong>Site Explorer<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Enter your page\u00a0URL.<\/li>\n<li>Hit <strong>Search<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You\u2019ll see the number of referring domains on the <strong>Overview<\/strong> report.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"934\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1.png\" alt=\"Referring domains overview in Ahrefs.\" class=\"wp-image-168950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1.png 934w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1-680x377.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1-768x426.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"934\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1.png\" alt=\"Referring domains overview in Ahrefs.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1.png 934w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1-680x377.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image16-1-768x426.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You can then plug your target keyword into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> and check the KD score to see if you have anywhere near the estimated number of referring domains needed to rank in the top\u00a010:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1348\" height=\"936\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4.png\" alt=\"Estimated keyword difficulty in Ahrefs.\" class=\"wp-image-168952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4.png 1348w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4-612x425.png 612w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4-768x533.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1348px) 100vw, 1348px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1348\" height=\"936\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4.png\" alt=\"Estimated keyword difficulty in Ahrefs.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4.png 1348w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4-612x425.png 612w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-4-768x533.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1348px) 100vw, 1348px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If this number is way higher than the number of referring domains to your page, that may be what\u2019s holding you\u00a0back.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Make sure you\u2019re eligible for rich snippets\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Rich snippets are search results that highlight structured data embedded on web pages. Here\u2019s an example:\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1340\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2.png\" alt=\"Rich snippets example.\" class=\"wp-image-168953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2.png 1340w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2-680x182.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2-768x205.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1340px) 100vw, 1340px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1340\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2.png\" alt=\"Rich snippets example.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2.png 1340w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2-680x182.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-2-768x205.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1340px) 100vw, 1340px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Rich snippets likely won\u2019t make your page rank higher, but highlighting key information on your page will make it more eye-catching \u2014 and this can result in more clicks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Just compare these two results \u2014 which one would you rather click?\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1386\" height=\"616\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2.png\" alt=\"Rich snippet vs regular result on Google.\" class=\"wp-image-168954\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2.png 1386w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2-680x302.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2-768x341.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1386px) 100vw, 1386px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1386\" height=\"616\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2.png\" alt=\"Rich snippet vs regular result on Google.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168954\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2.png 1386w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2-680x302.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image11-2-768x341.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1386px) 100vw, 1386px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>To be eligible for featured snippets, you need to apply a simple code called <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/schema-markup\/\">schema markup<\/a>. There are basically two ways of doing\u00a0this:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use your CMS or a plugin <\/strong>(like Yoast or All in One Schema). Just fill out some information, and it\u2019ll add the code for\u00a0you.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use a schema markup generator<\/strong>. There are plenty of these around (e.g., Merkle\u2019s Schema Generator). The benefit here is that you can probably better customize your schema than in the first option. The downside is that you have to add the code yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finally, make sure to use a schema validator that will make sure the code is applied correctly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1724\" height=\"312\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1.png\" alt=\"Schema validation example in Ahrefs.\" class=\"wp-image-168955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1.png 1724w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1-680x123.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1-768x139.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1-1536x278.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1724px) 100vw, 1724px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1724\" height=\"312\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1.png\" alt=\"Schema validation example in Ahrefs.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1.png 1724w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1-680x123.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1-768x139.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image14-1-1536x278.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1724px) 100vw, 1724px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Try to win the featured snippet\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Google uses featured snippets to answer the searcher\u2019s question in a short form directly on the results page.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1406\" height=\"824\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1.png\" alt=\"Featured snippet example.\" class=\"wp-image-168957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1.png 1406w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1-680x399.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1-768x450.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1406px) 100vw, 1406px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1406\" height=\"824\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1.png\" alt=\"Featured snippet example.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1.png 1406w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1-680x399.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-1-768x450.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1406px) 100vw, 1406px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Typically, Google pulls these from pages that rank 2 &#8211; 8 and puts them on top of any other organic result. So you can think of featured snippets as a shortcut to the\u00a0top.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to find the best featured snippet opportunities:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer <\/strong>and enter your domain.<\/li>\n<li>Open the <strong>Organic keywords<\/strong> report.<\/li>\n<li>Filter for <strong>Position <\/strong>2 &#8211; 8<strong> <\/strong>and <strong>SERP features<\/strong> where the target doesn\u2019t rank.<\/li>\n<li>Sort the results by <strong>Volume<\/strong> high to\u00a0low.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1155\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2.png\" alt=\"How to find featured snippet opportunities in Ahrefs.\" class=\"wp-image-168959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2-680x393.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2-768x444.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2-1536x887.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1155\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2.png\" alt=\"How to find featured snippet opportunities in Ahrefs.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2-680x393.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2-768x444.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-2-1536x887.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Once you find the best opportunities, try to provide a superior answer to what Google is already using for the snippet. You may need a few attempts until you get it right because it\u2019s never obvious what Google will deem a better answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This depends on the case and might be something like making your content more succinct, providing it in the right format, or providing a more specific answer. We\u2019ve got a full<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/featured-snippets\/\"> guide to featured snippets<\/a> that will help you leverage this technique.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Make sure your pages aren\u2019t sluggish and offer good\u00a0UX\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>In order to rank your web pages on search results, Google considers a range of <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/appearance\/page-experience\">page experience signals<\/a>. This means that apart from the information on your pages, Google will also look at their \u201ctechnical side\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the known signals and what to do about\u00a0them:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Connection security<\/strong> \u2014 basically, get an <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-https\/\">SSL\/TLS<\/a> certificate.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Core Web Vitals<\/strong> \u2014 the speed and visual stability of the pages on your site. To begin with, it\u2019s important that your website is not slow and elements don\u2019t move too much as they load. It\u2019s worth optimizing for a good score but don\u2019t strive for perfection.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mobile-friendliness<\/strong> \u2014 use a test like <a href=\"https:\/\/search.google.com\/test\/mobile-friendly\">this one<\/a> and fix any issues. You may need to get help from a front-end developer.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Intrusive interstitials, dialogs, and ads<\/strong> \u2014 just avoid them except those required by law (e.g., age verification).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to optimize content for conversions<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>SEO may bring you lots of targeted traffic, but that traffic will be useless if your content doesn\u2019t convert.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The trick to doing this is to pair product-focused content with snazzy copywriting skills that pack a punch. So let\u2019s go through how to do\u00a0that.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Make sure it targets a keyword with business potential<\/h3>\n<p>The true mark of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">content marketing<\/a> success is not ranking on the first page on Google. It\u2019s ranking and attracting a steady stream of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/lead-generation-tactics\/\">leads<\/a> and\u00a0sales.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, many businesses create mountains of blog posts without considering the business potential of their keyword or\u00a0topic.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve probably seen these posts lurking around. They\u2019re often about topics that have nothing to do with the business\u2019s product, and they always end with a pushy call to action (CTA) that serves zero value to the reader.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial to target keywords or topics that align with your product.<\/p>\n<p>Here at Ahrefs, we always consider a keyword\u2019s \u201cbusiness potential\u201d score. The higher it is, the better the opportunity to position our product as an irreplaceable solution to the reader\u2019s problem.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the scale we\u00a0use:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1422\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2.png\" alt=\"Business Potential score for content.\" class=\"wp-image-168960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2-478x425.png 478w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2-768x683.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2-1536x1365.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1422\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2.png\" alt=\"Business Potential score for content.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2-478x425.png 478w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2-768x683.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-2-1536x1365.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>This brings us to the million-dollar question: How do you position your product as the best solution so that readers will choose you over your competitors?<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Make sure it shows your product in action<\/h3>\n<p>As marketers, our job is only half done if we target keywords with business potential but fail to educate prospects on how our product works. After all, that\u2019s the whole point of choosing topics with high business potential.<\/p>\n<p>But you shouldn\u2019t just tell readers how your product works \u2014 you need to show\u00a0them.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what we\u2019re doing in this post. Notice how we demonstrate how our SEO toolset helps you optimize your content? You\u2019ll probably hit the \u201cX\u201d button if we make a blatant statement like \u201cAhrefs optimizes your content with a few clicks\u201d without backing it up with\u00a0proof.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Make sure it includes a persuasive call to action<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s a pity to leave readers hanging after they read a post, especially when it drives massive value.<\/p>\n<p>Include an irresistible CTA to encourage readers to take action toward solving their problems \u2014 whether it\u2019s subscribing to an email list, booking a free consultation call, or even something as basic as leaving a question in the comment box.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What makes a CTA powerful? We boil it down\u00a0to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Emotion<\/strong> \u2014 Conversion-driven CTAs speak to the prospect\u2019s pain or goals and immediately trigger action. Your CTA should make them go, \u201cThis company gets\u00a0me.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Credibility<\/strong> \u2014 With trust comes sales. Appeal to skeptical buyers with social proof like specific data, testimonials, and expert endorsements.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Timing<\/strong> \u2014 Effective CTAs align where the prospect is in the buyer\u2019s journey. Don\u2019t be afraid to pepper them throughout the\u00a0post.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s a powerful CTA from Cognitive FX that ticks all the\u00a0boxes:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1742\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1.jpg\" alt=\"Example of an effective call to action.\" class=\"wp-image-168961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1.jpg 1742w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1-680x316.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1-768x357.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1-1536x714.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1742px) 100vw, 1742px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1742\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1.jpg\" alt=\"Example of an effective call to action.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1.jpg 1742w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1-680x316.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1-768x357.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image12-1-1536x714.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1742px) 100vw, 1742px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Note how the treatment center adds an empathetic touch to a post about concussion memory loss in its CTA. It also leverages its impressive results (\u201con average, our patients improve by 75%\u201d) to instill confidence.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, look at the strategic placement of the\u00a0CTAs.<\/p>\n<p>Cognitive FX places them after setting the stage for the patients\u2019 recovery journey, which strikes an emotional chord with readers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to optimize content for social shares<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The more people share your post, the more eyeballs it gets. Let\u2019s look at how you can increase exposure on social networks.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Include expert quotes<\/h3>\n<p>Unique quotes from subject matter experts boost distribution.<\/p>\n<p>When you feature a source in your post, odds are they will want to share the post when it gets published. Plus, not only do you bake organic distribution directly into your content, but you also back up your claims without conducting additional research.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/content101?lang=en\">Fio Dossetto<\/a>, creator of ContentFolks, was writing a guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-marketing\/#content-marketing-tips\">content marketing<\/a> for Ahrefs, she approached 14 marketing leaders for their insights. Many of these leaders shared the post with their followers after it went\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s Louis Grenier, founder of Everyone Hates Marketers, sharing it on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LouisSlices\/status\/1354444262453215232\">Twitter<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"\/>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">Even if the experts you feature have a smaller following, you can still replicate this technique. Databox, a business intelligence platform, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/rachael-bassey-356b9870_18-mistakes-startups-make-under-rapid-growth-activity-6888875299044388864-RtSw\/\">tags them on LinkedIn<\/a>, further amplifying the reach of its\u00a0posts.<\/p>\n<p>To make this work, you must first identify the right experts.<\/p>\n<p>Even though platforms like HARO connect you with sources, it\u2019s best stay careful. Some of the responses can be low-quality so it pays to focus on finding subject matter experts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A better approach is to look for subject matter experts using Ahrefs:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>Ahrefs\u2019 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-explorer\"><strong>Content Explorer<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Enter your article\u2019s topic.<\/li>\n<li>Click the <strong>Authors<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Identify experts who have written extensively about the topic and have a lot of followers. For example, we may reach out to some of these authors for a quick quote if we\u2019re writing a piece on content marketing strategy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1028\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20.png\" alt=\"Finding subject matter experts with Ahrefs' Content Explorer.\" class=\"wp-image-168962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20.png 1028w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20-672x425.png 672w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20-768x486.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1028px) 100vw, 1028px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1028\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20.png\" alt=\"Finding subject matter experts with Ahrefs' Content Explorer.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20.png 1028w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20-672x425.png 672w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image20-768x486.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1028px) 100vw, 1028px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Share unique insights\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Readers are more likely to share content that contains unique insights, whether it\u2019s original case studies, data studies, surveys, or just relevant personal experience.<\/p>\n<p>When we published an original study analyzing more than a million websites, we earned over 205 shares from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/ahrefs_we-studied-1-million-domains-to-find-15-activity-7107739723942506496-oKA8\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">single LinkedIn post<\/a>. The data was brand new, and readers were excited to read it\u2014and crucially, be the first to share something so valuable with their networks.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Use more visuals\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Visuals can increase shareability it two\u00a0ways.<\/p>\n<p>First off, visuals make educational content easier to comprehend, and entertaining content more fun. Simply put, they can make your content a better, more immersive experience \u2014 an experience people may want to share with others.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, when shared on social media, images themselves may help you reach more people because users find them engaging. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/sproutsocial.com\/insights\/types-of-social-media-content\/\">Sprout Social\u2019s study<\/a>, images are the second most engaging form of content on social media, giving way only to short form videos.<\/p>\n<p>For example, we used a visual summary of an article on LinkedIn, and this turned out to be one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/ahrefs_boost-your-seo-without-creating-new-content-activity-7089982728992890880-1zg4?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">most engaging posts<\/a> we\u2019ve published:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"2488\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-162748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-307x425.png 307w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-768x1062.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-1111x1536.png 1111w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-1482x2048.png 1482w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"2488\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-162748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-307x425.png 307w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-768x1062.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-1111x1536.png 1111w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-improve-seo-1-1482x2048.png 1482w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Here are some more tried and tested ideas:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Break up the text with images that visualize key points or takeaways you want the reader to remember.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Visualize processes, comparisons, and workflows. In other words, things that are harder to follow in a text-only form.<\/li>\n<li>Use infographics to translate dry, boring data into something your audience can quickly grasp and relate to.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Note<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\"> Text isn\u2019t the only content type that can be optimized.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Images <\/strong>\u2014 You can optimize images to stand a better chance at ranking in Google image search. This includes techniques like optimizing alt tags, image file names, and image compression. We\u2019ve got a full <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/image-seo\/\">guide to image SEO<\/a> that will introduce you to some of the best practices.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Video <\/strong>\u2014YouTube is another search engine you can optimize for. Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/youtube-seo\/\">step-by-step guide to YouTube SEO<\/a> put together by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samsgoh\">Sam<\/a>, who grew <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/AhrefsCom\">our channel<\/a> to almost half a million subscribers. Interested more in ranking videos on Google Search? We\u2019ve got a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/video-seo\/\">guide<\/a> on that,\u00a0too.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to avoid when optimizing content\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The web is full of optimization advice. But don\u2019t fall into the trap of throwing <em>every<\/em> possible technique at your content. Some will be a waste of time, and some can even hurt your performance. So here\u2019s what to\u00a0avoid:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>SEO over-optimization <\/strong>\u2014 yes, you can over-optimize, or actually quasi-optimize, for search engines. Keyword stuffing is an example of that. We\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/over-optimization\/\">listed every SEO <\/a>over-optimization issue you should steer clear\u00a0of.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>The longer-is-better approach <\/strong>\u2014<strong> <\/strong>first and foremost, content needs to serve the intent behind the search. So don\u2019t artificially inflate your content. Google and searchers don\u2019t look for the <em>longest<\/em> answer to every search query. If you\u2019re curious about this topic, we <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/blog-post-length\/\">ran a few studies<\/a> to see what the data\u00a0says.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Aggressive sales tactics in copywriting <\/strong>\u2014 if you put too much pressure on the users, they will run\u00a0away.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overly sensational headlines <\/strong>\u2014 this may backfire because some people simply avoid titles that look like clickbait.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content optimization tools\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Be it for reach or engagement, these tools will help you go through the optimization process:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/\">Ahrefs<\/a>: allows you to find keywords with traffic potential, find content gaps, monitor your ranking performance, and more. Also, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/writing-tools\">free AI writing tools<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/\">ChatGPT<\/a>: allows you to generate ideas for more engaging headlines, rephrase any text for clarity, and beat writer\u2019s block.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/surferseo.com\/\">Surfer<\/a>: allows you to find words and phrases your articles might be missing compared to the top-ranking content.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vwo.com\/\">Visual Website Optimizer<\/a>: allows you to A\/B test pages with different variants of the copy. Most useful for conversion optimization on product feature pages and lead generation pages.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/\">Brand24<\/a>: allows you to monitor your content\u2019s reach and engagement on social media.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/gtmetrix.com\/\">GTMetrix<\/a>: allows you to test and monitor your site speed, including Core Web Vitals.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s okay if your first attempts won\u2019t bring great results. It takes some trial and error to get these techniques right.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Case in point: as I\u2019m writing this, I\u2019m actually trying to optimize the article for\u00a0SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The original version of the article ranked at position 6. Which means, there was room for improvement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"987\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1.png\" alt=\"Ranking history via Ahrefs' Rank Tracker.\" class=\"wp-image-168964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1-680x336.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1-768x379.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1-1536x758.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"987\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1.png\" alt=\"Ranking history via Ahrefs' Rank Tracker.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1-680x336.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1-768x379.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image17-1-1536x758.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Data via Ahrefs\u2019 Rank Tracker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After running through every point on our list (the same one I\u2019m sharing in this article), we found that our take on the topic may be missing some helpful information (e.g., what to avoid and a few tips in the SEO section), so we decided to add\u00a0that.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, we saw there was a featured snippet opportunity.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1298\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2.png\" alt=\"SERP overview via Ahrefs' Rank Tracker.\" class=\"wp-image-168966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2.png 1298w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2-680x243.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2-768x275.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1298px) 100vw, 1298px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1298\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2.png\" alt=\"SERP overview via Ahrefs' Rank Tracker.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-168966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2.png 1298w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2-680x243.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-2-768x275.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1298px) 100vw, 1298px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Data via Ahrefs\u2019 Rank Tracker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Will we win it? If not, we\u2019ll definitely come back and try again. And that\u2019s the\u00a0point.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Got questions or comments? Find me on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/m_makosiewicz\">X<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-optimization\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Content optimization is the process of improving aspects of content to increase its reach or make it more engaging. It involves such techniques as aligning content with search intent, adding missing subtopics, and showing how your product\/service can solve users\u2019 problems. In this guide, you\u2019ll learn how to optimize content for SEO, conversions, and social [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}